


Legendary

by PhiraLovesLoki



Series: Captain Swan Tumblr Prompts [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Red Beauty, Background Scarlet Beauty, Conventions, F/M, If you like Zelda, Romance, Video & Computer Games, background Snowing, the legend of zelda - Freeform, then HEY LISTEN, this story is probably for you!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 16:03:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4066069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhiraLovesLoki/pseuds/PhiraLovesLoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every time they met at the convention, he was dressed as Link, and there was a panel to get to. But that’s all that stayed the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legendary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caroc25](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caroc25/gifts).



> My good friend Caro requested CS at a convention. Although I've never been to a convention, I love the Legend of Zelda video games series, so here you go!
> 
> Knowledge of the series isn't necessary to understand and enjoy the story, but if you're curious about the background, or if you want to see the characters that our OUAT characters are cosplaying as, I've written up a reference here:
> 
> http://phiralovesloki.tumblr.com/private/120593312954/tumblr_npcv0bL8ru1tghewx

The first time they met, he was Link and she was Zelda.

Killian scanned the crowds as best he could, wondering where Will was. “Are you sure he’s already here?” The panel on video game writing he was hoping to attend was relatively soon, and Belle refused to split up before they’d all connected first.

“Positive,” Belle replied. “I’ll text him again.” She dug through her purse for her phone. “I wish I didn’t have to carry this thing around. It doesn’t match my costume at all.”

“I’m sure Malon would have had a purse if she were at a convention,” he reassured her. “Of course she didn’t need one on the ranch; that would have been silly. Come on, love: let’s wander off to the side a bit. I’d prefer not to stand in anyone’s way. Is he in costume?”

“I think he’s Oliver Queen.”

Killian snorted. “Well, _‘dressed as,’_ perhaps.”

“Oh, be nice. I’m not going to stop being friends with either one of you, so you’re going to have to start getting along.”

“I’m not the one who’s bloody cheeky all the time.” Once they were out of the way, he checked his schedule of events. “Still planning on doing the _Brawl_ tournament?”

“Of course.”

“When is the first round?”

“Not till later this afternoon. I’ll probably miss some of the better panels, though.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Oh! Oh, wait—no, not him.”

“Where?”

“It’s not him.”

“Humor me.”

“Over there, to the right.”

It wasn’t him, though the resemblance was strong enough that Belle couldn’t be faulted for the initial error (though, Killian thought smugly, it was clear that whoever the man was, he wore his _Arrow_ costume much better than Will was probably wearing his own). But as he looked and confirmed that, indeed, that was not Belle’s irritating friend, someone else caught his attention.

It was a young woman, dressed as Zelda, though (to his dismay) the _Skyward Sword_ version of the character. It was clear, even from a short distance, that her costume was extremely detailed and well constructed; if it weren’t for the attendee badge she wore, he might have mistaken her for a employee working for the game company.

She looked intensely bored, which was strange, given the fact that she was at a convention with enough events, booths, panels, and activities to keep ennui at bay for even the most discerning fan.

“Okay, _there_ he is,” Belle said happily. Killian scowled.

“Oi, and I’m happy to see you, too, Jones,” Will said as he approached.

“We _were_ supposed to meet thirty minutes ago,” he reminded him.

“Then I’m so very sorry. You must have missed _countless_ enjoyable experiences while you waited.” Will gave Belle a hug. “I got here much too early and couldn’t resist walking about a bit,” he told her apologetically.

“It’s fine,” she said happily. “All right, now that we’re all together, what should we do first?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to another stroll around the floor.” Killian rolled his eyes; there was almost nothing more excruciating than being around two people who seemed extremely resistant to their inevitable, mutually desired hook-up. Of _course_ Will wouldn’t mind an aimless stroll with Belle.

“There’s a panel I’d like to attend soon, so I’ll wander the floor later,” he said, keeping his feelings to himself. “It’ll be over by noon; shall we reconvene over by registration shortly after and then seek out a meal?”

“That’ll work,” Belle said, while Will was clearly rolling his eyes at Killian’s word choices. So what if he preferred to embrace his vocabulary? What use was there being boring? “See you around noon!”

As she and Will left, he made his way in the direction of the panel. As he passed Zelda, he heard her snicker.

He’d been looking forward to the convention for months, and this panel in particular was one he’d marked on his schedule as soon as he’d purchased his ticket. It wouldn’t do to be late and have to stand in the back. And, of course, there was no indication that the chuckle had been directed at him, or if it had, if it had been specifically at his expense.

But even so, he stopped and turned. “Excuse me?”

She looked very amused; clearly, the snicker had been meant for him. “Nothing,” she said quickly, obviously trying to cover while simultaneously looking not at all embarrassed at being caught.

“No, tell me, love—something amusing you?”

She smiled; if she _wasn’t_ amused, she was doing a damn good job of faking it. “Nope.” She popped the “p.”

Killian had stopped mid-stride and had simply craned his neck a bit to question her. Now, though, he turned around fully and approached her. “I think I will be calling your bluff, darling.”

“Really?” she asked. “We’re doing this?”

“Aye, we are. I’m just curious regarding what you find so entertaining about me,” he said with a shrug. “If you could simply _satisfy_ that curiosity, I’d be happy to continue on my merry way.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “I just think it’s a little funny that your girlfriend really does a pretty perfect Malon, but you’re kind of ruining the illusion a bit.”

He opened his mouth to disabuse her of the notion that Belle was his girlfriend—it would be a shame to have this beautiful woman mistakenly believe he wasn’t single—but the rest of her sentence registered. “What do you mean?”

“I know Link’s hair color varies from game to game, but come on.” She raised an eyebrow. “And facial hair? Really?”

“Ah, so you’re a _purist,”_ he said with disdain. “I find that especially humorous coming from someone dressed as a character from _Skyward Sword.”_

“Am _not_ a purist,” she said, before frowning even more. “What does that have to do with me picking this version of Zelda? I have bangs; it felt appropriate.”

 _“Skyward Sword_ hardly even feels like a _Zelda_ game. It’s as though it had been designed by people who’d only read about the franchise on Wikipedia.” He knew his opinion was an unpopular one, but he’d be damned if he was going to get criticized for refusing to shave. He was _single,_ not a monk; the scruff was one of the many ways in which he was devilishly handsome. And judging by the eyes people had been making at him since he showed up at the convention, it seemed far more likely that he would be earning phone numbers, not scorn, based on his appearance.

She smirked. “You’re just bitter because so many people like it more than they liked _Ocarina of Time._ Newsflash, buddy: the only thing you’ve got on your side is nostalgia.”

“At least _my_ game was truly revolutionary.”

“So was _Mario 64,_ but you don’t see anyone claiming that it’s a better _Mario_ game than _Galaxy._ ”

“I can admit that my game has flaws, but do you really think that in ten years, anyone’s going to still be talking about yours?”

The conversation continued until his phone rang. Pulling it out of the small leather pouch he’d fashioned for his costume, frowned as he saw Belle’s photo on the screen. “Belle, what’s wrong?”

“Killian, where are you?”

“I got a little sidetracked, but I’m on my way to that panel. Why?”

“It’s almost twelve-thirty! That panel ended forty-five minutes ago. What do you _mean,_ you got sidetracked?”

“I’ll be right there, sorry.” He hung up and checked his phone again. To his dismay, Belle hadn’t been exaggerating: it was nearly twelve-thirty, and he had spent the past hour and a half arguing with this woman.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I appear to be incredibly late.”

“Well, we can’t have your girlfriend the ranch girl disappointed,” the woman said with a smirk.

Killian was about to retort that he was, in fact, _quite_ unattached, and use that as an opening to ask for her number when a man dressed as _Skyward Sword_ Link approached. His costume was, like the woman’s, quite well-made, although he was very obviously wearing a blond wig. “Hey, babe, there you are.” He wrapped his arm around the woman’s waist.

No wonder she’d assumed that he and Belle had worn their costumes as a couple.

“Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?” he asked, glancing at Killian. “Bro, nice costume.”

“You, too,” Killian replied, his mouth a bit dry. “Anyway, I really do have to go. It was nice talk to you.”

“Sure.”

Naturally, when he tracked down Belle and (a very irate) Will, they were both curious as to why he’d been so terribly late (and why he’d missed the panel he hadn’t been able to shut up about since they’d purchased their tickets). But he simply shook his head and repeated over and over, “It was nothing. I just got distracted.” Distracted by a pretty face, he told himself. Except that she hadn’t really been a pretty face. She’d been sharp-tongued and quick-witted, and he’d been so engaged in simple conversation, answering her verbal challenges and issuing his own, that he’d _enjoyed_ himself. And what did he have to show for it? He’d missed a panel. He’d irritated his friends. And he hadn’t even learned her name.

* * *

The second time they met, he was Link—sort of—and she was nobody.

Emma kept telling herself that she didn’t need to even _be_ here, and that nothing was stopping her from going back to her hotel room. Cons were _his_ thing, not hers. Mary Margaret, David, and Ruby didn’t _need_ her to tag along, and would probably have more fun without her.

She hadn’t even dressed up this year. She didn’t want anyone to even notice her. She’d seen the way that Mary Margaret’s face had fallen when she’d shown up in her bulky college sweatshirt, yoga pants, and Ugg boots, with her dark, recently-dyed brown hair covering her face.

She knew Neal would probably be around, with his new girlfriend. It wasn’t about “winning” the break-up, though. It was about staying invisible, so that he wouldn’t know that she’d held onto this piece of him. That he’d given her something to love that was his—that would always be Neal-flavored in some way—and that she couldn’t cut all ties. Ruby had tried to be helpful, insisting that she should _totally_ dress up (“You’d make _such_ a sexy Rikku! He’d have trouble walking because of how his jaw would be draggin’ on the floor!”), and Mary Margaret had very, very gently offered her the Lara Croft costume she’d worn the previous year, but Emma had stood firm.

Besides, Neal had been the one who encouraged her to dress up last year, and it was his passion and skill as a cosplayer that had resulted in her amazing Zelda costume. Never mind that it had been the wrong Zelda, and that she’d wanted to be _Twilight Princess_ Zelda. Neal preferred _Skyward Sword_ and had pointed out that, since she’d had bangs at the time, she looked more like the newest version of the princess.

David had been the one to suggest dressing up as _Twilight Princess_ Zelda this year for that very reason, but she didn’t have the guts to admit that Neal had been the one to make her costume. She couldn’t think of anything more embarrassing than encountering her ex-boyfriend while wearing whatever crappy, laughable costume she’d struggled to put together on her own.

Instead, she hoped that Neal would assume that she’d decided not to come to the con this year, and that if he spotted her, he’d be thrown off by her attire and her new hair color, and just figure he was mistaking a stranger for her.

Then again, maybe a costume would have been a good idea if she’d wanted to remain anonymous, because she could _not_ spot a single one of her friends _anywhere._ How hard was it to find a brunette Zero Suit Samus, a Cloud Strife, and a Chell with short hair? Apparently, very hard!

She should have just stayed home. But she’d already purchased the plane ticket and booked the hotel room before she and Neal had that one last fight to end all fights. She knew it was just the sunk cost fallacy talking, but even so.

There! A fake giant sword! Was that David? Except that wasn’t the right kind of giant sword. The person it belonged to picked it up and glanced her way; he was dressed as Fierce Deity Link from _Majora’s Mask._ The look suited him pretty well, and he’d definitely nailed the face paint … except for the fact that he had beard stubble.

 _Oh._ It was _him_. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize her. It wasn’t like she had _hated_ her interaction with him last year. He’d been more fun to talk to than Neal had been the rest of the weekend. But things were different now. _She_ was different. She hoped he wouldn’t recognize her.

“Hey,” he called out. Crap. “Didn’t you and I have a debate about _Zelda_ games last year?” He hefted his sword over his shoulder and approached her. He looked very, very weird in the white-out contacts he was wearing for the costume.

“Looks like you still couldn’t be bothered to shave,” she said, a way of confirming that yes, she was the person he’d talked to, without having to indicate that it had been a positive experience.

He laughed. “My girlfriend likes the scruff,” he said, “so it seems silly to shave it for a weekend when I don’t need to impress anyone else.”

She wasn’t sure why she felt so crappy hearing that he had a girlfriend. She barely knew the guy; she’d just talked to him for five minutes (okay, more than five minutes) about video games a year ago. “That her over there?” she asked, pointing at a woman dressed as Princess Daisy.

“No, that’s my friend. Her _boyfriend_ Luigi is off somewhere, probably making an arse of himself.” The way he said _boyfriend_ made it clear that he didn’t feel too warmly about the dude. “My girlfriend isn’t here. She’s … ” he glanced at his feet for a moment, “well, let’s just say that this isn’t her scene.”

“Yeah, it’s not for everyone,” Emma agreed. It probably wasn’t for _her_ either. She should have stayed home.

“No costume this year?”

She’d been hoping he wouldn’t comment. “Nah. Not enough time to pull something together.”

“That’s a shame. You really did look amazing in your costume last year.”

“Thanks.” She knew she was blushing, but she was as well hidden behind her hair as she could be while still holding a conversation. Maybe he wouldn’t see.

“The brown hair looks good on you,” he continued. “And I promise if you were to show up tomorrow as a brunette Zelda, I wouldn’t comment on it.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, at least you’re wearing a wig this year.”

“See? You _did_ have quite the impact,” he said, grinning.

The woman dressed as Daisy approached him. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, giving Emma a warm smile. “Will just got here. We’re going to walk around for a bit. Would you like to join us?”

Fierce Deity Link shook his head. “I’ve got that panel I want to go to, so I’ll meet you for lunch.” He turned back to face Emma. “Though I won’t speak for the lady. If you’re not waiting for someone, I’m sure Belle and Will won’t mind a third wheel. So long as you don’t mind horrendously saccharine public displays of affection.” The woman scowled and smacked him gently on the arm.

She chuckled, wondering what he’d think of Mary Margaret and David. “What panel are you going to, actually?” she asked. “I’d hate for you to miss another panel because of me.”

He raised an eyebrow in amusement but didn’t comment. “It’s the panel on incorporating video games in education. Are you interested?”

“Yeah, sure.” She knew Neal never planned on attending that many panels, and this one sounded _way_ out of his field of interest. She quickly grabbed her phone and texted Mary Margaret. _I can’t find you guys so I’m going to a panel, meet you for lunch at 1 at registration._

Link turned to his friend Daisy—Belle, Emma reminded herself. “All right, I’ll meet you two for lunch. I mean it this time,” he added, as Belle gave him a knowing glare before walking off to join Luigi.

“Yeah, I did make you late last year,” she commented. “Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize, love,” he said as they began to walk to the conference room. “I had a stimulating and challenging debate with a passionate and well-spoken fan of a series that’s near and dear to my heart.” He paused. “You know, I didn’t forget about you. It was one of the highlights of the con for me last year.”

“Really?” She’d enjoined their interaction very much, but for her, the highlight had been going back to the hotel with Neal, and having him tell her, mid-coitus, that he loved her. Though that was no longer such a warm, happy memory.

“I _did_ invest in a wig, did I not?” he asked, pointing at the aforementioned item. She chuckled.

The panel was interesting, but what Emma was more interested in was the fact that sitting next to this guy, even in a context where they couldn’t really have a conversation, was _still_ fun. The single panel she’d attended with Neal last year had been mostly interesting, but she’d felt like she was sitting alone, surrounded by strangers. At the time, it hadn’t felt _wrong_ or anything. Just that she, Emma, went to a panel that he, Neal, also happened to go to.

But with Link, as she’d taken to calling him in her head, it was different. They both laughed at the same moments, and she could tell when he was more or less interested in the responses of different panel members. Multiple times, he caught her eye and was able to convey, just through his expression, that he thought what the panelist was saying was a little off, or that it was brilliant, or that it was funny. She felt like she was actually attending the panel _with him_. Like a unit. It was weird.

A thought bubbled up, loud and completely unexpected. _He has a girlfriend._

They continued walking and talking after the panel, discussing whether or not they agreed with the panelists, before they both realized that they were walking towards registration, where _both_ groups of friends were waiting for them. Daisy—Belle—and her boyfriend Luigi both seemed relieved that Link had, in fact, joined them on time, and David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby seemed shocked that Emma wasn’t alone.

“I guess we’re off to lunch,” Link said. “It was nice actually attending the panel this year. I had a good time.”

“Me, too,” she said.

“Oh, are you guys getting lunch, too?” Ruby said, directing the question at Link and his group.

“Yeah,” Belle said. “Maybe we could find a place together. What do you think?” she asked her boyfriend.

“Could be fun,” he replied.

“Great!” David said, cautiously eyeing Link. “Let’s head downstairs. Maybe there’s something at the mall nearby?” He reached over to shake Link’s hand. “I’m David.”

“Killian,” said Link. “This is Belle and Will.”

“I’m Ruby, and this is Mary Margaret,” Ruby said, stepping forward to also shake hands. “Are you the same guy Emma harassed last year?”

“I didn’t _harass_ him,” Emma replied weakly, but Link—Killian—just smiled.

Killian. Well, she’d been having fun thinking of him as Link. But this worked, too.

* * *

 

The third time they met, he was Link and she was Zelda. Again—sort of.

Killian hadn’t ever been this nervous in his life. He hadn’t seen Emma in a year, not since the last con. And they’d barely talked during that time. First, it had been because he’d been so wrapped up in Milah and all the things she’d promised him and all the amazing things he’d felt with her— _for_ her. Any free time he had that wasn’t coursework or job applications had been _her_.

Then, it had been because that relationship had fallen apart, and so had he. It had been mutual, but it had still hurt. But she had her son to think about, and he’d be damned if he’d be responsible for breaking up her family. And while he’d been desperately in love with her, and she with him, love wasn’t always enough. The age difference had been too much; they were too different.

And then, when he’d felt the stirrings of excitement when Emma had friended him on Facebook, he was disappointed to see photos of her with another man featured prominently on her newsfeed. _Walsh_ , she’d told him when he’d sent her a message asking how she’d been. She didn’t ask if he was seeing anyone.

The rest of their interactions had been few and far between. She rarely updated anything on Facebook, and besides a few likes, a comment, and a post wishing him a happy birthday, the most significant interaction he had with her came a month ago.

 _Are you going to the con again?_ she’d asked. He’d seen her typing another message, for several long minutes, before adding, _I think I’m going._

 _Yes,_ he’d replied. _I’d love to see you,_ he’d added after thinking about it for a few minutes.

 _My friends are going,_ she’d replied.

_I know. Belle’s excited._

_How’s Will doing? Are you guys still at each other’s throats?_

He’d laughed, as quietly as he could. _He’s living with me, actually. He’s a decent bloke when he’s not being an arse._

_That’s good to hear._

And two weeks later: _I’m going. I guess I’ll see you there._

_Is everything okay, love? You don’t sound terribly excited._

_I’m okay. It’s a long story. Complicated._

_Will you tell me?_ When she didn’t respond for a while, he added, _I don’t mean to press. I just mean, if you need a friendly ear …_

She finally replied, the day before the con: _Maybe in person. We’ll see._

_Do you need a ride from the airport to the hotel?_

_No, but thanks._

He wished she were easier to read when they weren’t face to face.

He felt a bit ridiculous, standing around in the same spot they’d accidentally met the previous two years, feeling extremely naked without his facial hair and extraordinarily silly in the blonde wig Belle had procured for him. He checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time, wondering if she’d tried to call him.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for someone,” came a voice from behind him— _her_ voice.

“Emma!” he said, relieved that she had, in fact, shown up. And then his jaw dropped.

Her hair was blonde again, as golden as it had been the first time they’d met, and she was once again dressed as Princess Zelda. But this time, she was dressed as the _Twilight Princess_ version of the character. Her costume wasn’t as finely or intricately made as hers had been two years ago, but it was still very lovely, and he could see how much effort she’d put into the details. She pulled on the fingertips of her gloves nervously as she peered up at him. “Emma, you look stunning,” he finally managed to choke out.

“And _you_ look …” she trailed off, before gesturing at his costume. “Weird.”

“Weird?” His heart sank.

“Yeah. Here.” She reached up and pulled off his hat, which she handed to him before getting to work on the wig. He thought she was fixing it for him, like Belle had done several times before she had gone off to find Ruby, but to his surprise, she removed it completely. She shoved it into her purse before putting his hat back on and fixing his natural hair.

“What was that for?”

She shrugged. “I was wrong,” she said softly, almost shamefully. “You’re just always going to be a dark-haired Link.” She frowned apologetically. “A scruffy, dark-haired Link. Did you seriously shave because I gave you a hard time?”

He scratched the back of his ear, not wanting her to feel guilty. “I was simply trying to cosplay to the best of my abilities. Besides, now that I’m single, it’s important that I pay attention to what the ladies are interested in. And you seemed interested in a clean-shaven Link. No need to worry, love. I assure you it grows back.”

“Okay,” she said, but he’d clearly said something wrong. She backed up defensively and crossed her arms. “Did Ruby tell you about my costume?”

“No.” Ruby hadn’t told him _anything_ about Emma, even when he’d asked. He couldn’t tell if Ruby had just been too distracted to care, or if Emma had requested that she refrain from passing along information.

“So why did you dress up as _Twilight Princess_ Link?”

“It allowed me to challenge myself a bit.” He lifted up some of the (fake) chainmail he’d made. “I had time, since I could reuse some of my old costume.”

“Okay.”

“Emma, what’s wrong?”

“I broke up with Walsh.”

Oh. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t love him.”

“An excellent reason to break up with someone.”

“So I’ve heard.”

But that certainly couldn’t be all. “What are you hiding, Emma?”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

“I find that difficult to believe.”

“Well, I’m not hiding anything, so I guess that’s _your_ problem.”

“Love, please, I—”

“Emma?” They both whirled around to find a man sporting what looked like a professionally made Ganondorf costume, with his arm around a woman similarly well-dressed as Nabooru. “Hey! I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Hey, Neal,” she replied. She was smiling, but it was clearly a forced expression. “Hi, Tamara.” It was then that Killian recognized the man as the _Skyward Sword_ Link who’d attended the con with Emma two years ago. _Ex-boyfriend,_ he realized.

“Who’s this?” the woman—Tamara—asked politely, gesturing at Killian.

“Oh, this is Killian,” Emma said quickly. “He’s … he’s my … ” She floundered.

“Boyfriend,” he quickly interjected. “I’m her boyfriend.” He reached out to shake the other man’s hand.

“Really?” the man—Neal—asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Emma replied. “We met at the con a couple years ago. Remember? The guy I was arguing with?”

“Oh, that’s really cute,” Tamara said. “That’s so awesome that you guys met here. I love your couple’s costume, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Killian replied, trying to take some of the burden of the conversation off of Emma. “It’s our favorite _Zelda_ game, so it felt appropriate.” He hoped the ad-lib was believable.

“That’s right,” Neal said. “I forgot how irritated you were that I wanted to do _Skyward Sword_ costumes.”

“We’re heading to a screening,” Tamara interrupted, skillfully redirecting the conversation away from the topic of when Neal and Emma used to date. “But it was nice to see you—and meet you. Enjoy the rest of the convention!”

“Yeah, nice to see you,” Emma said, before grabbing Killian’s arm and dragging him in the opposite direction.

“Sorry,” he said immediately. “I shouldn’t have assumed you needed me to step in.”

“I did,” she said. “I’m not upset.” But she was clearly still flustered as they rounded a corner. “Crap, I thought this was another part of the convention,” she said as they glanced around. They hadn’t left the con, but they were in a mostly deserted hallway, devoid of booths or convention employees.

“It’s all right, love. I don’t think we’re going to get in trouble for being here. Do you need a moment?”

“I think so,” she said. “I hadn’t even thought about bumping into Neal this year.” She laughed. “You know, I was so afraid of seeing him last year, I didn’t even dress up. I didn’t want him to see me.”

“Oh, is that why?” he asked. “I admit, I was curious.”

“Yeah.” She exhaled loudly. “Ugh. Well, at least his girlfriend knew to end the conversation.”

“That’s true.”

After that, he wasn’t sure what to say. Was she going to explain to him what had been bothering her? He’d assume that it had been the possibility of running into her ex-boyfriend, but she’d just said she hadn’t been expecting to. That _had_ been a weird comment, though, that apparently Emma _hadn’t_ wanted to be _Skyward Sword_ Zelda. But she’d defended the game so passionately! It was why he’d missed the first panel, and why he’d never been able to stop thinking about her, even after he’d met Milah, and why he’d always thought of her as—

“I’m moving here,” she said suddenly.

“You—what? You’re moving here?”

“Yeah. I got a job here. I start June first.”

“That’s wonderful! Congratulations, Emma. What sort of work?”

“Engineering. It’s tech work at a local research institution.”

“That sounds really great.”

“Yeah.”

“Were you afraid to tell me this?”

She rubbed her arms, like she was cold. “I guess.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re _Con Guy,_ ” she said, throwing her hands up. “You’re my What-If Guy! You’re the guy I never get a chance to be with because one of us is always in a relationship, or we don’t live in the same city, but we click like hell, and you’re hella attractive, and we accidentally do a couple’s cosplay, but we’re _not supposed_ to get a chance.”

She continued, which was fine, because his brain had mostly stopped working at this point. “So everything was fine before because, hey, you were with someone, and you live here, and I was all the way in another part of the country, and then _I_ was with someone, so it was _fine._ And when I came here, I was thinking—hey, at least _he’s_ still in a relationship, so it’s okay that I’m single and I’m moving here because there’s still _that one thing_ that will keep him my What-If Guy, and things won’t get weird.

“But you’re _not_ in a relationship, and no one bothered to tell me—least of all you, but I can’t really blame you because I didn’t tell you about Walsh—and now we’re both single and I’m going to be living here in two months, and now it’s going to be _weird._ ”

“Why does it have to be weird?”

“Shit,” she hissed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have assumed. Well, okay, so clearly I’ve been overthinking this and I just made everything _super fucking awkward._ Look, I know that we’re supposed to hang out as one big group, now that Belle and Ruby are together, but if you want, I can go off on my own, it’s totally fine with me.”

“Emma,” he said firmly, reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder. “I would be more than happy to move all of this from the realm of ‘what if’ and into reality, if you’d allow it.”

She blinked up at him. “Really?”

“I _shaved my beard_ for you, love. I wore that bloody wig. The only woman I was trying to impress this weekend was _you._ ”

“But what if this is a mistake?” She was twisting the fingers of her gloves again. “What if this is _just_ how we are at the con? Or what if we’re starting off way too seriously?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’re not even _dating_ and we showed up in a couple’s costume.”

He rolled his eyes. “Have you even _played_ this game, Emma?”

She glared at him. “More times than you could even count, buddy. Don’t try to ‘fake gamer girl’ me if you want your crotch in one piece at the end of this conversation.”

“I’m just _saying_ , darling, that if you had indeed played the game, as you so vehemently insist that you have, you would know that _this_ is not a couple’s costume.”

Her glare did not abate. “Link and Zelda are a classic video game couple,” she said flatly. “Everyone knows that. Everyone’s _parents_ know that.”

“Link and Zelda are a classic video game couple in _several_ of the games in the franchise,” he clarified for her. “But anyone who’s played _Twilight Princess_ would know that the relationship between Link and Zelda in that game is, at best, almost businesslike.”

She groaned. “What, so I should have shown up in a Midna costume? I suppose you should have been Wolf Link, then.”

“I love a challenge,” he admitted. “Perhaps next year.”

“Which Midna?” she asked suspiciously.

“Imp Midna, of course.” He grinned.

“I’m not doing that. I’d do her other form.”

“If I’m to be Wolf Link, that hardly seems fair.”

“What, you want me riding you around the con?”

“Darling, don’t be absurd. That’s a bedroom activity, not something to be done on the convention floor _.”_

She turned bright red, and he immediately realized what he’d said. “Sorry, love. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s actually nice to know we can still have this.”

He knew what _this_ meant. _This_ meant that she was glad their friendship wasn’t ruined by her admission—or his. But _this_ also meant something else.

“I don’t want to be your What-If Guy,” he said. “I want to be _your guy_. I’m happy to take things slowly; it’s probably best for us both if we do. And if you truly wish to keep everything in the realm of the hypothetical, I’ll respect that, and you won’t lose what we have. You won’t lose me from your life. But I’d rather have more, and I suspect you do, too.”

She let out another long, noisy exhale. “I do,” she said quietly. “If we can take things slowly.”

“Of course.” His heart was thumping in his chest, even as relief hit. He reached out and took her hand. “Emma, look at me.” She did so. He saw fear in her eyes, but mostly, he saw determination. “There’s one thing that we need to make clear, though, before anything can happen between us.”

The fear in her eyes bloomed. “And what’s that?”

“ _Ocarina of Time_ is the greatest _Zelda_ game ever made.”

That earned him a smack on the shoulder. “Oh, you _asshole.”_ But the fear was gone. “You know, you’ve really got to let go of your goddamn nostalgia.”

“Oh, and _Skyward Sword_ is truly superior?”

“I was only arguing that because you were making fun of my costume.”

“I was not! I was making fun of the game which your costume was _from._ There’s a difference.”

“Not enough of one.” She smirked. “But even if it’s _not_ my favorite game, that doesn’t mean that _Ocarina of Time_ is the best one.”

“Then what is?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. _“Wind Waker,”_ she said, before tossing her hair over her shoulder and striding confidently back around the corner to the main floor.

“ _Really?”_ he sputtered, following her. “Have you _even played_ it?”

“Have _you_? Because I find it hard to believe if you’re so shocked.”

“Well, I can admit I stopped playing because—”

“You didn’t even _finish_ it?” She laughed.

“It’s the principle of the matter!” he replied defensively. “The game required me to pay Tingle to translate maps! It’s absurd! I was offended!”

“Were you playing the original version?” she asked. “Or the HD version?”

“The original, why?”

“The HD version is much better. They fixed a lot of issues, and you don’t have to pay Tingle eight times.”

“Really? So, it’s like the 3DS version of _Ocarina of Time_?”

She threw him a sheepish look. “I didn’t play the new version of that.”

“Then your whole _nostalgia_ argument might need some fine-tuning.”

They were standing in the middle of the convention center, with hundreds of people in costume (and many more not) milling about, excitedly looking at games and comics and promotional items, talking about panels and screenings and special guests, bragging about gaming tournaments or anime collections. And all he could see was her.

“There’s a panel I was thinking of going to in a few minutes,” she said, pulling a schedule out of her purse. “Do you want to go to it? It’s probably super crowded already, but I don’t mind standing in the back.”

“I’d love to, darling.”

“Don’t you want to know what the panel is first?”

“I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it anyway.” He held out his arm, and she took it, her fingers resting on him lightly. “Lead the way, Your Highness.”

She rolled her eyes, but led the way all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story! I'd love to know what you think.


End file.
